Personal/Family Disaster Preparedness Plan

By Student Name

1. Personal Background Information (Maximum of 250 words):

Describe number of family members including the unique needs/considerations of your family, ages, and
specific health issues:
I live with my boyfriend, however, I would evacuate to my parents’ nearby house in an emergency:
Name: Age: Specific Health Issues/Unique Needs:
ME (Student) 24 None

Boyfriend 23 None
Brother 18 None –May or may not be home depending on
time of year (college student)
Mom 53 None
Dad 53 Mechanical heart valve with anticoagulant
therapy, type 1 diabetic, on a range of
medications for various cardiovascular and
endocrine health history
Pets:
We have 4 animals that reside at my parents’ home:
Name: Species: Age: Miscellaneous:
Daisy Long-hair 5 No health conditions or limitations;
Chihuahua would not be able to walk long
distances
Jack Long-hair 4 Has 1 bad leg and a bad eye; would
Chihuahua not be able to walk long distances
Colby Long-hair 4 Morbidly obese for a dog; would
Chihuahua not be able to walk long distances
Soxie Cat 16 Has late-onset cat dementia; is
declawed; not an outdoor cat;
mild-deafness; would not be able
to walk long distances

(Left to right: Jack, Colby, Daisy; Soxie)

Geographic Location:
I currently live in Major City, Country directly on riverfront property. My apartment is on the 4th floor of a
brick building. The building has large windows, no basement, or gas-run devices. It is locked by an electronic
system that in a disaster would be rendered useless in a power outage. In the event of a major disaster, I
would travel to the suburbs to be with my family. My family’s home is on a large hill overlooking the river,
has gas-run devices, a basement, and 3 additional cars. Being a registered nurse, I want to be close to my
father who has multiple health conditions.

Photo: Front view of my apartment building off balcony

Photo: From 0.25 m from downtown apartment – notice ice piling up and potential for flooding

Photo: Top right notice boats/marina

 Photo: View from my parent’s backyard; Notice large hill obscuring direct access to river

2. Types of Disaster (Maximum of 250 words):

Describe the type of disaster most likely to occur in your area:
Based on the “Major City” Web site ("Emergency Management & Homeland Security · Emergency
Resources," 2013) the most likely disaster to occur in our area is flooding. However, other potential disasters
listed include:
a. Summer weather: Extreme heat, tornadoes
b. Winter: Severe winter weather, blizzards, extreme wind chills, winter storms
c. Flu/Pandemics
d. Terrorism
e. Utility outages
f. Fires
g. Chemical spills
h. Landslides
i. Earthquakes
Describe how the type of disaster specific to your area impacts your preparation plans:
Since I live on the river, a massive flood may be detrimental to my preparedness plans of leaving to my
parents’ home in the suburbs by car. However, as aforementioned, we live within walking distance of a
marina. Hopefully, we could get a ride with someone in the general direction of city-wide evacuation routes
or towards my parents’ home. Secondarily, my apartment is downtown on the 4th floor of an apartment
complex; and I work on the 9th floor of the hospital so I may be able to shelter-in-place if I could not
immediately evacuate. I could use pre-prepared items in my “Home Kit” to board up/tarp windows and
prepare.
Without a basement, if other natural disasters such as a tornado occur, I would shelter on the first floor of
the apartment complex in the emergency stairwell that is approximately 50 feet from any windows or
doorways.

3. Home Preparedness and Jump Kit Checklists (Maximum 500 words):

I would prepare several “Home Kits” -- 1 at my apartment, 1 at my parent’s home, 1 at our secondary
location:
a. Food – Supplies for 4-5 adults at approximately 2400 calories per day; mostly comprised of dry
goods; canned goods (fruits, vegetables, proteins) with low-moderate amount of sodium content.
Should be stockpiled for each individual for approximately 2 weeks.
 b. Medical Supplies – Bandages; medicine (prescribed for each individual family member and as-
needed antibiotics); bacitracin; alcohol wipes; suture kits; splint kits; saline; peroxide; Dakin’s
antiseptic solution (can be made with bleach stock-pile).
c. Pet Supplies for 4 animals – approximately 15 lb of dry food per animal; wet food (10 cans per
animal); medical supplies; activate charcoal or ipecac.
d. Miscellaneous Supplies – Batteries (all varieties); tape; candles; matches; hand-radios; 2 weather-
proof hand cranked/solar power radios with additional features (for example see:
http://www.amazon.com/ER-Emergency-Ready-Hand-Crank-
Flashlight/dp/B0007CL02S/ref=sr_1_9?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1377289952&sr=1-
9&keywords=radio+hand+crank); duct tape; large weather-proof plastic for doors/windows;
window-ladders; fire-extinguishers; 10 flashlights.
e. Water – Water supplies for 4-5 adults at 1 gallon per day; water purification tablets; bleach (un-
scented); water-bottle stock-piled.
f. Firearms/Edged Tools - Shotgun; handgun; reloading supplies; ammunition; cleaning supplies;
sharpening supplies; axe; knife with full tang.
g. Sanitation– 1 per person; portable shower; dry shampoo; antiseptic body wash; hazardous waste
bags and shovel to bury waste.
h. Important Records: Insurance policies and titles to all vehicles, houses, apartments; copies of
birth certificates and social security cards; health insurance card copies and group #s; contact list
(names, addresses, phone numbers) of important individuals involved in evacuation plans; cash
($200-400/person).
My “Jump Kit” would include:
a. Food – Non-perishable dry and canned goods; easy-to-prepare snacks, and meals for at least 3
days.
b. Medical Supplies - First aid kit comprised of the items listed by the American Red Cross: “Anatomy
of a First Aid Kit” retrieved from http://www.redcross.org/prepare/location/home-family/get-
kit/anatomy; medications for at least 7 days including as needed antibiotics.
c. Pet Supplies – Some dry food; small cans of wet-food; dog and cat coats for warmth.
d. Miscellaneous Supplies – Duct Tape; water-proof matches or flint (dryer lint or dry grape vine may
be useful); flashlight with extra batteries; aforementioned weather-proof hand crank/solar power
radio with additional features (NOAA weather radio); cell-phone with portable charger; compass
with print outs of maps marked with evacuation plans; emergency blanket; change of clothing;
hat; can opener.
e. Water – One gallon rations per person per day; 3 day supply; Platypus Gravityworks Filter; water
purification tablets.
f. Important Record – Copies of personal documents (medication list and past medical history);
proof of address; deed/lease to home, cars; passports and copies of photo identification; copies
of birth certificates and social security card; insurance policies copies.
g. Firearms/Edged Tools – Handgun with small amount of ammunition; 1 knife with full tang; multi-
purpose tool.

4. Contingency Plans (Maximum of 250 words):

Describe plans for leaving your job:
Since I am a nurse and work at a large level 1 trauma hospital, I would not be allowed to leave my job if I
were working based on current policy in the employee handbook. I would be required to take care of
patients until a fellow staff member arrives at the hospital to relieve me. This may take several hours to days
depending on the type of disaster. If I am not at work when a disaster is declared, I may be required to come
to the hospital to relieve fellow staff currently working.
 Describe plans for meeting family members including a local meeting place and an out of town meeting
place:
Since I live and work downtown, I would store at least 2 extra gas cans full of gas in my car and evacuate
from downtown to my parents’ house. My boyfriend’s work is closer to my parents’ house; he has a hybrid
car and would meet me at my parents’ residence. My brother, depending on the time of year, may be at
college approximately 3 hours away. My brother may have to shelter-in-place until we could reach him or
ride with a fellow student/faculty to our area. A local meeting place would be my parents’ home in a nearby
suburb or the local high school. An out of town meeting place would be my extended family’s house 2 hours
away in Rural Area, PA.

5. Escape Routes or Transportation Plans (Maximum of 250 words):

Provide a plan for leaving your home and the area including information on where you will go and how
you will get there.
Meeting Spots: Distance from Downtown Method of Transportation to
Work/Apartment to Meeting Spot: Location:
Primary: Parents’ home, Suburbia, 15 miles utilizing highways, back Car with additional tanks of gas; boat
PA roads. from downtown utilizing local river
route
Secondary: Extended family’s home 140 miles utilizing highways Car with additional tanks of gas
in Rural Area, PA
Tertiary: Family beach house in 756 miles utilizing highways Car with additional tanks of gas;
South Carolina hitchhiking rides with others in
exchange for goods from survival
pack; having family meet us half-way
Describe specific concerns based on the type of disaster or specific family needs:
If there was a flood, which is the most common disaster in our region, typical transportation utilizing a car
would not be possible. Luckily, there is a marina with several large motor boats within 50 feet of my
apartment; I could sail on the river to a location near my parents’ home. If my family and I needed to
evacuate on foot, there are many horse farms nearby to my parents’ home. I have been an equestrian most
of my life. We could utilize the horses as a means of transportation or as a means to carry heavy supplies.
Most local farms have golf carts, ATVs, tractors, and other alternative vehicles that may come in handy in off-
road situations. My father, depending on how much medication we had stored, may have a hard time
walking long distances (potential for hypoglycemia); he would be able to ride the horses while the rest of us
walked.

6. Emergency Communication Plan (Maximum of 250 words):

Describe the plan for communication within your family:
a) Each family member has their own cellular device. Also, my boyfriend, father/mother, and I have a
total of 4 iPads and 5 computers.
b) If a disaster is declared, I would send both a text message and e-mail notifying my family to begin the
disaster plan and meet at the designated primary spot. We would utilize text messages on every hour
mark to determine each other’s location.
c) I would have my family bookmark crucial links and sign up for text messaging/e-mail services
provided through FEMA’s “Get Tech Ready” Web site.
Describe a communication plan with authorities:
a) To receive messages from authorities in the area I would use a weather-proof radio (as
aforementioned) with extra batteries. Since we have 5 vehicles, we could designate 1 vehicle to listen
to the radio for short periods of time or to charge electronic devices for access to emergency
notification systems.
 In the event you cannot use cell phones or other wireless devices:
a) Once we are all together, hand-held radios will be given out. Additional batteries will be provided.
b) If we are separated, each family member would be required to register on The American Red Cross’s
Web site “Register or Search the Safe and Well Listing” so we can attempt to get in touch with one
another once Internet or cell-phone services is restored.
c) Pay phones may work during emergencies, so it is crucial to keep loose change on hand and know
local locations.
d) If cell phones or other wireless devices do not work we would rely on the wired land-line phone (not
a cordless handset) at my parents’ home.

7. Maintenance Approach (Maximum of 250 words):

Develop a strategy to keep your plan up to date in the coming months and years.
My family will hold “Monthly Preparedness Meetings” on the 1st Saturday of every month. Each family
member will bring their “Jump kits” (home and portable) to my parents’ home. We will check our own
personal kits, each other’s kits, and discuss any concerns or additions to the plan. We will keep a running
itemized list of each “Jump kit” with the expiration/refill dates of perishable items including food, water, and
medicines. We will also develop a list of supplies (including medications) each month that are in need of
replacement and share costs and responsibilities to purchase these items. Medications can be tracked in an
iPhone application called “Pill Reminder” and updated for each family member; this application can even
export and print lists of these medicines to add to the kit. We will also update any necessary paperwork to
the safe at my parents’ house, practice disaster drills, and start educating family members on various
disaster survival techniques learned throughout this course. I have requested that all of my family members
sign up for this course, so I am curious to see how their plans develop in comparison to my own and
formulate the final plan from there!

8. References:
a. Emergency Management & Homeland Security · Emergency Resources. (2013). City of Pittsburgh.
Retrieved from http://pittsburghpa.gov/ema/emergencyresources?expanddiv=div3.
b. FEMA: “Get Tech Ready.” Retrieved from http://www.ready.gov/get-tech-ready.
c. The American Red Cross’s: “Register or Search the Safe and Well Listing.” Retrieved from
http://www.redcross.org/find-help/contact-family/register-safe-listing.
d. American Red Cross: “Get a Kit.” Retrieved from http://www.redcross.org/prepare/location/home-
family/get-kit
e. FEMA: “Are you ready? Guide.” Retrieved from http://www.ready.gov/are-you-ready-guide.
f. Chapter 4. Beach, M. (2010). Disaster preparedness and management. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. David
Company.
g. “Survival Tutor.” Retrieved from http://survivaltutor.com.
h. “Self Reliance Illustrated.” Retrieved from http://selfrelianceillustrated.com.
i. American Red Cross: “Anatomy of a First Aid Kit.” Retrieved from
http://www.redcross.org/prepare/location/home-family/get-kit/anatomy